Extortion

Los Angeles Extortion Attorney

Forms of Extortion

Extortion is a
federal crime and can be broken down into three main forms per California law. Using
threats or force to compel another to give up money or property is one
of these. Another is using the same methods to compel a public officer
to corruptly perform a specific official act. Extortion can also consist
of a public official compelling another to give over something of value
by acting with apparent official right, although truly false. The four
main components of an act of extortion are:

Property damage

Use of violence

Harming another's reputation

Behaviors deemed to be unfavorable per the government's standards

Extortion vs. Blackmail

Extortion is often referred to as blackmail. However, there are slight,
but distinct, differences between the two and they don't necessarily
both apply to the same act. Extortion is usually charged as a
felony and can result in prison time and large fines. A competent Los Angeles
criminal defense lawyer should be retained to offer legal counsel and
act in your defense if you have been charged with such a crime. Blackmail,
on the other hand, is classified as any behavior that involves the use
of threats to reveal information (whether true or false) about a public
official, family member, work associate or anyone else. To be an act of
blackmail, a threat must exist in which physical harm, destruction of
property or social stigma will be inflicted if said demands are not met.
While extortion and blackmail are often used synonymously, the differences
between the two are evidenced by the behaviors involved in each.

Generally, threatening acts are only considered to be ones of blackmail
if the threats are written down formally. Extortion can threaten future
harm without needing to be written down; these are acts in which threats
are used to prevent someone else from engaging in certain lawful behaviors.
The prosecution must prove that you attempted to obtain property or an
official act from another and that you did so by way of wrongful force
or fear. We take up each part of this and review the prosecution's
evidence and all the data on hand.

Contacting Martinian & Associates

We are very experienced in the identification of weaknesses in the prosecution's
evidence or case. These findings can often materially affect the charges
themselves or the verdict. We also have the competence and familiarity
with which to conduct relevant investigation and build a compelling defense.
Your rights and freedoms are important to us and we will do all we can
to protect both you and your future in the wake of an accusation of extortion.